A New Avenger
by WhatTheFrickCrowley
Summary: Adrian Scott was nothing but a wayward bartender at a beachfront male strip club until something horrific happened, and he noticed he wasn't who he thought he was, what he was,or that his entire life was indeed a well deep-rooted lie that started before he was ever born. Now he knows the truth, but will it be enough to forget the past and join the Avengers? Ch. 6 up!
1. Chapter 1

Adrian Brendan Scott awoke to the sun shining through his window. The sunlight creeped in as the sound of ominous music coming down the hall. Adrian groaned as he checked the clock on the wall: 9:30am. Adrian shoved the comforter off of his body and padded to the room in nothing but boxer-briefs where no doubt his roommate was making a ruckus. He peeked in the room, seeing his best friend and roommate playing a video game, recording herself and utterly making a fool of herself with overexagerated screams and laughter.

"Jamie, will you please shut that off?" He yelled above the game, getting her attention. She paused the game, staring at him, which turned into a big grin.

"Good morning sunshine." She said pausing the game and getting up from her chair. She dragged him over to her big fancy recording station and made him smile into the fancy webcam.

"Heya guys! I want you to meet my best friend Adrian! Woke him up this morning oops! Say hi Adrian!" She cheered.

"Uh, hi guys, wait are you live? I'm naked! That's not funny!" Adrian jerked out of the camera view followed by Jamie's laughter.

"Say hi to Twitch!" Jamie yelled, earning more people in the chat.

"Remember guys if you want to support me and Adrian, subscribe, donate, and watch me on Twitch and support Adrian on his channel, Modern Food with Adrian on Youtube!" Jamie laughed. "Now let's get back to Outlast! Thank you JimmyBob127 for donating!" Adrian walked out the room as Jamie continued to play the scary video game.

He just shook his head and headed to the bathroom. He turned on the water and waited for it to warm while he took out a towel and washcloth. He stepped into the shower where hot pellets berated his skin. He sighed under the touch and let the water run through his brown hair. He stood there without moving for a bit, letting the water run off his head and trickle down his nose and chin. He reached for the cloth, soaping the fabric with Axe Anarchy shower gel. He rubbed the cloth against his smooth skin, cleaning every surface of his body. He poured shampoo in his hand and palmed his scalp, cursing when the shampoo ran into his eyes. He quickly rinsed the suddenly hated product out of his hair, shaved his underarms and legs for work, and stepped out, wrapping himself in a soft towel. He proceeded to brush his pearly whites and dry his hair, delicately grooming his hair to styled perfection as a simple short style with just a dab of hair gel to keep his hair up.

By the time he got out and padded back towards his room, Jamie had already stopped her livestream and was talking on the phone, chatting away. Adrian closed his room door behind him and got dressed in basketball shorts and an Under Armour compression sleeveless tee. He brought out a small duffle bag and filled it with cargos and a red plaid button down, along with Tommy Hilfiger sandals.

He stepped out his room and found Jamie waiting for him.

"Took you long enough, now how about breakfast?" She smiled. Jamie was his best friend, but the girl had no concept of personal space or boundaries. Always wearing a cheesy grin and an always optimistic attitude. And the best thing was she never judged. She would set him straight when he went astray, but she was always so constructive. Maybe she got on his nerves every now and then, but he couldn't wish for a better friend or roommate.

 **(A/N: Jamie looks like Elysandra Quinones and Adrian looks like Ryan McPartlin)**

Adrian tried to hide his smile, but couldn't. "I wasn't planning on cooking, but if you help this time, I'll be able to do it. I had stuff planned." Adrian commented, his slight southern accent accentuating every other word.

"What were you planning on doing?"

"Uh, going to the gym until time for work. Boss said if I want to make the extra cash on the stage, I gotta lose the love handles." Adrian commented, and Jamie looked at him skeptically. If there was one thing Adrian didn't have, it was love handles.

"So just bartending tonight?"

"Yeah I think so, unless Dave says I can go up for an act or two."

"Well then, I might stop by for a drink or two."

Adrian tossed his duffle bag on the couch in the living room that they shared. The condo they shared was simple enough, and spacious for two, with three bedrooms and one full bathroom, a living room, dining room, full kitchen, and a balcony overlooking the Myrtle Beach waterfront. With the money Adrian pulled for doing two jobs at the Male Strip Club on Kings Highway, and the money Jamie racked in from Youtube and Twitch, they were able to afford the condo they lived in together.

Adrian went over to the refrigerator, taking out thick cut bacon, baby spinach, feta, goat and cream cheese, some fresh herbs, along pith a container of puff pastry.

When his head reappeared out the fridge, Jamie was there recording him with a camcorder. Adrian hadn't even heard her set up the tripod. She stepped into view of the camera and greeted soon- to- be viewers.

"Hello eager chefs! Welcome to another episode of Modern Food with Adrian! Filmed by ME, JamieJellyBeans! So, Adrian, tell us what your cooking today!"

And so that's how Jamie got Adrian to film another decadent episode of Modern Food with Adrian. Honestly the whole Youtube thing was all her, he didn't think recording videos were his forte, but apparently having a pretty face helped a lot.

"Hi everyone, today I'm deciding to make Breakfast Spinach Puff Pastries, a savory breakfast fingerfood that's packed with iron, protein, calcium, and carbs. Great for a little boost in the morning, while being absolutely delicious..."

After an hour of prepping, cooking, and explaining how to cook with commentary and comedic relief from Jamie, breakfast was done and Jamie finally shut off the damned camera. They ate in mutual silence, the tray of spinach puffs slowly disappearing. Adrian put up the dishes and washed them, putting them on a rack to dry. He grabbed his duffel bag and waved goodbye to Jamie until he saw her hopefully later that night.

* * *

Adrian tended to his inebriated patron at the bar he manned alone tonight. It was hectic, being the only one, but since the last guy was fired from drinking the supply, Adrian, known more by his club/ stripper name "Adonis" was the only one efficently able to bartend sober and keep up with the flirtatious customers. Tonight, he was getting tips left and right from both male and female patrons due to his expertise in making drinks and the flairs and trick he did to keep them entertained when there was a dancer on the stage. Adrian was in costume, something required for all the employees working at Adam's Apple Adult Entertainment and Bar. He wore too tight black leather jeans that showed his assets a bit too vividly, a leather sleeveless vest that revealed babyoiled tan rippled muscles and a fedora rested on his head.

He watched as his boss, Dave, recited the rules of the club for the second half of the night. Of course it was the obvious, don't touch the strippers, unless they gave permission,meaning they physically placed your hands upon their body. Otherwise no touchie. Dave demonstrated, touching all over his chest, groin and buttocks, waving his index finger.

Adrian served the house favorites as well as any other drink under the sun to patrons at the bar. Jamie stayed true to her word and came by to see Adrian. Sure he was bartending, but he always made time for Jamie.

"Hey 'Adonis' quit flirting and make me one of your fabulous drinks." He smiled as he saw Jessie's cheesy soft smile. Jamie sat a few seats down, from where he was chatting up a drunk guy in hopes for a bigger tip. He went over to Jamie smiling.

"And what can I do for you young lady?" He played, using his sexy bartender voice that had no affect on her. She laughed, and he set off making her favorite drink, the Adios Motherfucker. He served it up to her, and they talked for a while whilst he served others. He promised to pay her tab out of kindness to his friend and they had a good time, keeping Adrian from being lonely and keeping his spirits up. However, after three drinks he stopped serving her, knowing how her tolerance was low. He called up a cab and made her go home. He had enjoyed it while it lasted, but now the fourths of the night was gone, bachelorettes were going to pursue some other source of fun other than his bar tricks and went to the front for a closer view of Donatello's ass, and drunk horny men filled their seats. Some flirted with Adrian and he flirted back suggestively but had no intent behind it other than to make the guys feel good enough to leave a larger tip. He had realized that the more you flirted, the bigger the tip you got...

The night was over and the club was closing. He was cleaning the bar, setting up everything for tomorrow if need be. He was wiping the counter with a rag when he noticed at the very end of the bar a man with a hood on, still sipping on the double whiskey he had served him an hour ago. He walked over, and began to speak to him as he would any patron who stayed in the club too late.

"Sir, I'm sorry to intrude, but the club's closed. I'm gonna have to ask you to finish up and leave. I can call a cab if your inebriated but you don't seem like it.

"I'm fine." He answered darkly. He glanced up at Adrian but said nothing as he still twirled the glass in his hand.

"You see sir, I'm trying to be nice. I don't want Butch throwing you out. The bouncer tends to be rough on late stayers, so... just finish up, pay your tab in the next fifteen minutes or so, before he makes his rounds 'kay? Tab's sixteen even." Adrian gave a friendly smile even under the glare of the guy.

Eventually, the guy payed up and left, leaving the club. Adrian took the glass and cleaned it, and finished up. He went into the back, retreiving his duffle bag and changed into his shorts and shirt, slipping on his sandals. He counted his well earned tips and smiled. He had quite a few hundred earned that night. He hadn't thought he would have gotten that much but between the ones and fives that were a fluffy stack on its own, it was the tens, twenties, and a precious fifty dollar bills that put him on cloud nine.

He talked with a few of the dancers, making plans with Dominic "Dingo" Huarez and Taub "Tiger" Smith to go surfing in two days time. He said by to Butch who gave him a wave before heading out the backdoor of the club. He shifted his duffle bag on his shoulder and walked on the side walk, the salty sea breeze caressing his face. He didn't live too far from the club, a few miles down the strip and a couple blocks around the corner. He made it half way when he noticed he was being followed. It was the guy from the bar, and for somereason the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Adrian looked forward, trying to blend in with the night owls on the strip, nervous and palms sweaty. Why was the guy there? He had left the bar nearly two hours ago, and still he had just happened to find him and pursue him relentlessly from just a few meters away? The guy had apparently been waiting for him to come out but why?

Adrian walked on, trying not to think about the man in black as he turned down a short dark alley to make it to home faster, and hopefully lose the guy just in case.

Adrian's eyes flashed wide with fear as a choke hold was placed around his neck, a soaked white cloth placed upon his mouth and nose by a black gloved hand.

Adrian caught a glimpse of the man's face, definitely same man as before, as he fought muffled screams permeating through the cloth for no ears to hear, breathing hard as he felt dizzier with every punch and hard jab with his elbow and every slam to the brick wall, weaker as he barely had any strength to stand, let alone break free. His eyes shut finally as his body went into a slump, unconscious from the world.


	2. Chapter 2

Adrian wakes in a glass cell, his view only of a large laboratory with some very concerning equipment. He rises from the cot to see that he's been stripped of his clothing, a white jumpsuit with no sleeves and an insignia that looked more like a warped octopus on the right pectoral. He wore no shoes his feet bare across the linoleum.

Adrian contemplated what he did, what happened, how he ended up here. He panicked when he did remember, yelling and trying to find a way to break out, but the glass was far too strong to break. He thought about escaping but didn't know how to. He had no idea where he was in this ominous, bone chilling torture cell.

Soon men in whit lab coat bearing the same insignia as the one on his jumper looked at Adrian with curiosity, like he was an experiment, like he was a lab rat.

"Let me out! Fucking let me out!" Adrian yelled banging his fist against the glass until it hurt.

"If this is some joke, it's not fucking funny! I said let me out!" He punched at the glass backing away from it with two bruised knuckles.

"My, my. Look how feisty the boy is." One man in a labcoat commented.

"Fuck you!" Adrian yelled hurling spittle at the glass in disrespect.

"Hmm… he's far too belligerent to do this, but we are already behind schedule… gas the chamber and get the lab ready for operation."

Instantly all the rage and hate dissipated into fear, Adrian's eyes wide with terror.

A slight yellow mist waded down from the vents, billowing around the cell. The gas stung his eyes and burned his lungs. He coughed and gasped, trying to get away from the gas. He was oozing tears, saliva and mucus from his face, the gas absolutely painful and unbearable. He staggered to his knees as he gasped for air, hacking and coughing.

"Pl-Please!" He begged, eyes too watery to see.

"…Put him to sleep." The scientist said amused at Adrian's pain, before the vent vacuumed out the CS gas and replaced the one moment of clean air with a sleeping agent, and Adrian passed out, hitting the ground with a limp thunk, oblivious to the world.

* * *

Adrian screams as the pitch darkness of being unconscious clears with a stab to his arm, opening his eyes to near blinding light. He aches and clenches as he feels fluids being injected inside his veins.

"Awake already, rat. You don't stay under for long. We have barely begun." An elderly dark voice mutters over the boy. Adrian pants in fear as he notices his wrists and legs are restrained to the table he's laying on. He looks to the side of his arm, a needle sticking out, and the man holding on to it. Various monitors beep connected to his pulse, oxygen rate and temperature. The man is in a doctor outfit, medical mask covering his face, but his glare was all too menacing for Adrian.

"What did you do to me?! And where am I?! Let me go!" Adrian asks as his struggling to get out of the restraints gets him nowhere and only ends up with him having raw and now bleeding wrists.

"You'll find out where you are soon enough. And as for what I just injected, we'll find that out right... now." The man with a devilish tone takes the needle out, making Adrian cringe, and then turns around to pull out a Taser hooked onto a machine.

"Time for a test, rat." He turns the Taser on, but rather than a typical Taser static, it was supercharged. The blue and white static buzzed around wildly in the air. Adrian turned wide eyed and frantic as the Taser pointed at him and grew closer.

"Wait, no. No! NO!-" An agonizing pain surged through his body as the Taser touched his chest, his vision turning white, his chest involuntarily lurching forward, veins pop out of the side of his neck, his grit on his jaw enough to break teeth as Adrian writhes in pain, his vocal cords paralyzed, as he took the pain in silence as the man chuckles watching, visually taking notes.

Several minutes passed, and when the Taser was turned off, Adrian Brendan Scott laid dead on the table, his body twitching ever so slightly on its own still from the remaining electricity coursing through his body, while saliva escapes his mouth, no response given to the doctor's dismay.

"Hm, the activation compound needs the exact voltage and current to activate, however I'm afraid I have killed him...Hm, perhaps a bit more. He should start showing signs of the compound. I'm adding more, add it to notes." The man orders his assistant who nodded ponders as he fiddles with needles and tube as he glanced at the dead twenty five year old on his table. He turned Adrian's head to the side, his dead eyes unfocused and dull facing the wall.

* * *

A heartbeat slowly returned to the body, and Adrian laid motionless as life began to course back through his body. Adrian looked at the wall unable to focus was a poster, but his head was fried, unable to process what it said. There was an image of a skull with things around it. Adrian suddenly gasped and choked, trying to catch the air that had escaped him. He couldn't feel anything however, his arms, his legs, they were still going through shock. It scared him, to see, to hear, but couldn't move. Was he paralyzed forever? Were they going to kill him? Or would they continue practicing on him like a tortured guinea pig until he died?

"Wha...are...you...doing?" Adrian panted and swallowed heavily almost taking all his strength to think and formulate those few half- spoken words.

"More injections, more tests." The man casually said as he filled several needles, stabbing one into Adrian's arm. It scared Adrian when he saw the force the doctor thrusted the needle in, but dread washed over him when he realized he felt nothing.

The doctor roughly grabbed Adrian's face, Adrian having no reaction other than to try to just focus on breathing and trying to look at his covered face, as saliva slid from the corner of his mouth. "You died while I was still testing. Do not do it again."

"D-died?..."Adrian couldn't resist, he couldn't feel anything at least, but he was scared, frightened, horrified about what these needles have and these 'tests'. He went through needle injections one by one, followed by a pill forced into his mouth and down his throat by an uncaring gloved finger. Adrian had to take it all, he was helpless, trapped, numb, and weak, these thoughts plagued his head.

He felt like he was dead. But he wasn't he couldn't move, he couldn't feel, but he could hear, and see what was being done to him. Was this a nightmare? Was this Hell?

All of a sudden, Adrian felt burning sensation, and he felt this time. He cried out loudly in pain while his eyes were shut with pain, he had to bite down and prevent himself from screaming louder for fear of what the man might do. But he couldn't and he screamed, tear rushing from his eyes his screams, moans and protests echoing off the walls, reaching no one's ears but his own. The doctor was holding a blow torch to the palm of his hand, watching his skin bubble and blister before it blackened, finally extinguishing the flame, the room stinking of burning flesh.

"Still needs more time. The catalyzation of the compound and deoxyribonucleic synthetic grain is taking longer than I thought " the doctor once again muttered, and before Adrian had a chance to react, a gas mask was placed on his face. He felt drowsy tears still running as his energy slowly drained from his almost unresponsive body once again.

"P-please…s-stop." Adrian begged for his life.

"You're going to be very useful...rat." Were the last words he heard before everything went pitch black.


	3. Chapter 3

Two days.

Two peaceful, silent, terrifying days.

Adrian sat on the cot of his prison, his knees pressed up against his chest, his back against the cold wall. It felt like a cold prison, it looked like a prison cell. He'd been here for so long the days had just merged into one never-ending living nightmare. The damage to the glass cell wall was nonexistent, except where he managed to make a tiny scuff with the metal tray they served him food on. He learned his lesson after his fifth attempt to escape, when he threw the tray at the doctor's assistant when he went to retrieve him for more 'tests' and had knocked the man out. Adrian had promptly suffered nearly ten minutes of concentrated CS gas torture followed by painful tests. Adrian's stomach grumbled loudly, and his eyes went over to the plate sitting on the floor.

Cold food stared him in the face, but Adrian refused to eat it. What if it was laced like the last meal? Adrian wore his octopus emblemed jumpsuit, although somehow it had gotten bloody, from what he couldn't remember. His hand burned, and itched, and screamed in pain with blackened skin and oozing blisters, although well cared for with a new bandage every time he woke up from sleeping or when he simply passed out in exhaustion. They continued to burn him, both hands covered in bandages. Apparently whatever compound thing they were doing wasn't working, and it made it only more painful for Adrian.

His eyes were dry, which had long ran out of tears, crying since he realized he was kidnapped tortured and thrown into the cell and was never going to escape no matter how many times he tried, his hazel eyes red-rimmed and swollen.

"I just want to go home." Adrian muttered as he hung his head down in his lap, not noticing his torturer returning, the silent mechanism opening the door to his holding pen.

"Never." The haunting cold voice said as the doctor yanked Adrian out of the cell by his hair unexpectedly, Adrian yelling in pain as the grip tore hair from his scalp with unbearable power. Adrian tried to fight back with his hand, trying to claw and scratch at the hand holding him hostage despite the agonizing pain in his palm.

"Let me go you fucker! LET ME GO!" Adrian screamed as the doctor lost his little patience, grabbing him up by his neck, choking him before throwing him into a nearby table covered with glass and vials and beakers.

"You INSOLENT boy!" He yelled, the doctor finally losing his patience. Adrian screamed panicked as a broken beaker shard penetrated the inner part of his arm, blood and pain flowing freely. Adrian tried to take out the shard, crying and screaming as the shard was deep and resisted as he tried to pull it out, deeply embedded in muscle, jagged skin and roared in pain, having enough of the courage, to just yank the glass out his arm, and with a sickening squelch the glass was removed with a clink as it hit the white tile that was stained red.

"Ah, so it has begun to work..." The dark doctor muttered, watching the boys arm with evil twinkling eyes.

Adrian looked at his arm in confusion, as he took his hand from covering his arm, showing that the cut was already healing, pain still there, but the cut had stopped bleeding, and had already begun to pucker with a scar.

"What have you done to me?" The angered words came out only as a terrified whisper.

"No, no my dear boy, what have I released within you might be a better question."

* * *

Author's Note:

DiaClover- IT honestly all depends on how relationships progress. This could either be heterosexual or slash pairings. Seeing as though Adrian's sexuality is bisexual, it could go either way. And thank you for being my first reviewer!


	4. Chapter 4

After the accident, the testing went to a whole new caliber. Now they weren't afraid of causing third degree burns, and slicing into his skin the second the other healed. They took huge skin and tissue samples for studying under a microscope. They wanted to know the extent of his healing capabilities. So, they tested his muscle ligature, slicing his Achilles tendon. They saw that tendons healed fairly quickly, a few hours at most. They tested his bone strength and density, by breaking his wrists, and saw that bones took a little longer, five days maximum. The doctors were fairly pleased. Adrian wished for death.

A SHIELD agent with dark brown hair and uniform walks through the halls of the Helicarrier. Approaching a door that automatically opens up, walking through it led her to the long tabled meeting room with a dark skinned man with an eyepatch sitting at the far end.

"Sir, it looks like we've got some HYDRA activity going on not too far from here." The suited woman informs in a sophisticated yet casual tone.

"HYDRA again? They never seem to learn their lesson. What are they doing this time, Hill, going around copying the Avengers team again?" Director Nick Fury asks, his deep stern voice echoing in the wide room slightly.

"Not this time, at least the costumes they used last time couldn't have been anymore obvious. Information leads to believe they're doing some underground lab work, possibly researching ISO or experiments that could lead into more super-powered criminals running around. But the test subject sir, is not a random person sir, its Phase 3, sir. How they acquired it is a mystery. He was being supervised." Agent Hill details as she spreads some paperwork onto the table, Fury is over contemplating the situation.

"Let's send out a team then to check things out. We can't have them with their hands on him. Whose on board and ready to move out?"

"The usual team. There are a few others, but it'd be a safer bet to send them." Hill says clasping her hands behind her back.

"Alright, Hill, I'll leave it up to you to give them the order." Fury says with a wave of his hand, spinning his chair and going back to the sky view behind him.

"On it, Director. I'll get back to you on any findings when they report back." Hill says as she organizes all the reports back into the folder.

"Will do, Agent." Fury affirms without turning around to look at her as Hill leaves the meeting room.

Adrian is thrown back into his cell by two armoured guards, they wear a weirdly customized gray-green suit and mask. He falls head first, feeling the cold, grimy floor scrap his forehead and nose, grunting as he sits up, his stomach growling, and the floor stained red by the deep cuts on his skin.

"That's it for today, rat. Soon, you will be out of this cell and in a much more better place." The scientist says with a chuckle as he walks off, the two guards locking the door. Adrian is still in shock from the outcome having being pierced, shocked, and everything imaginable. He rubs his arm and notices the mark of a faint scars blending into his skin, as well as no longer feeling the sting of the fresh scrapes he received from his fall. He stared through the glass, watching the daily clean up crew spray the lab with cleanser and water, swirling with his blood, making pink foam froth on the floor.

Adrians eyes focused on the reflection he saw in the glass. He touched his face, feeling the curly scruff of an untamed beard, his hair no longer short, but long nappy sweat soaked curls, slick against his forehead and down his neck, long enough to cover his ears.

How long had he been here?

"What the hell happened to me...?" He covers his face in contemplation, images of the bloody torture he endured flashed before his eyes, which welled up in tears. They flowed down his face, disappearing in his beard.

That man said something was 'working', are they trying to give him regeneration or something? He stares at his scars for a moment, and then the hand that was burnt the other day. Even that has healed, only a few flakes of black skin left along with itchy fresh skin.

"That's great, I can't seem to get hurt now. So much for trying to kill myself to get out of here." Adrian pitifully laughs, his fist tightening at the thought of his inescapable torture. He suddenly feels his stomach tighten, a burning feeling forces him to clutch onto his stomach.

"Ugh... I can't even remember the last time I ate, but I didn't think my stomach would burn up like this." He rubs his stomach to try to settle it, and just as he raises his hand, small hot sparks go off and fade quickly.

"Now I'm actually seeing things..." Adrian rubs his eyes and simply associates it with not eating and the medicine and spots the old plate of food. He believes now that he can't seem to be hurt, that maybe the drugged food won't have effect. But there is a difference between getting hurt, and being poisoned...

The sound of a sudden explosion echoes nearby as the ground violently shakes. Adrian stands up in panic as more explosions go off, with faint screams of pain and a loud angry roar. Guns went off , loud and angry.

"What the hell was that!? Oh fuck." Adrian went into a frenzy, were those explosions more experiments? And was that monstrous roar another test subject? Would he end up like that!? The explosion increased pace, as they felt nearer to where Adrian was held up in.

"Get me outta here!" Adrian pressed his hands against the glass, yelling as small debris and dust started to fall from the ceiling. However, no one was there to hear him shout. He could hear more painful cries along with hard hits being thrown, along with even more angry grunts. Whatever was fighting the guards and making the explosions, Adrian did not want to stick around to get involved. He took a few steps back and bum-rush the prison door, only to bounce back onto the floor with a thud.

"Dammit!" He yelled, the ground under him continued to tremble from the ongoing fight just outside the room. His side ached and his wrist broke with a large crack but he'd have to worry about the pain later. The bones were nothing to be worried about now since he could heal but he didn't think he could survive a building collapsing on him. Adrian stood up and tried one more time before whatever monster outside beats him into his grave. He closed his eyes, mustered up all his panic-filled strength, and ran forward. And kept going, and going, and...going? Until he felt confused and realized that he felt really hot, he ended up tripping, his face landing in cold snow.

"Ok, that is the third time I've fallen to the ground today!" Adrian swears loudly as he lifts his head off he ground, his eyes open wide to the fresh, yet factory-filled, outside world. It was cold, and thick snow covering the ground, thick snowflakes sizzling in his hair.

"How'd I get here!?" He turns around to see a busted hole in the high security wall. As well as the cell he was trapped in having melted glass. Did he do that ? How did he burn and bust his way through? Adrian was filled with questions, when a sudden explosion blows away another wall nearby, causing him to run away toward the empty snow plain in fear. He kept his eyes closed, hoping whatever he did would happen again so he can just keep running without obstacles. Only seconds pass by, and Adrian feels weightless, and so fricken hot. Not burning, but just hot.

"I really don't want to open my eyes bu- ahhh!" Adrian cries as he realizes his feet aren't even on the ground anymore and he's flying high in the sky, not only that, but he's on FIRE. He tries to blow out the flames and pat himself down, only to cause him to fly wildly in the air.

"What. Is. Going. On!? Oh fu-" Adrian cries out as he flies uncontrollably, the sight of a giant airborne ship in his direction. Being unable to stop, or not knowing how, he covers his face and braces for the worst, crashing through the large metal build, through reinforced concrete, and into a huge glass window, and finally hitting a metal wall, falling to the floor like a dead body.

"What the fuck Stark, I told you- Call the code Alpha Bravo Sierra Three, and retrieve the Avengers!" Director Nick Fury yelled to Hill who was beside him and runs to Adrian and checks his body, shards of glass stick out of Adrian like needles in a pincushion, blood gushing everywhere. He then reaches for the walkie-talkie on his belt.

"I need a medical team in the meeting room, I've got a severely injured young man, stat!" He shouts into the device. A groan comes out of the Adrian and his breath hitches and gasps in pain, his mind and vision spinning and foggy, trying to pick himself up.

"Whoa there, kid, don't move!" Fury orders, looking at the blood running down Adrian's forehead. Adrian hears the man's stern voice, panic returning back to him as he hastily stands up, wobbling and looking at Fury with fear.

"Get the fuck away from me!" Adrian says dizzy and backed away from the man. He grabbed a broken piece of window glass, hand bleeding as he waved it menacingly, threatening to slice anyone who came near him.

"Easy now, I'm not going to hurt you." Fury says in a calm deep tone, spreading his arms to show he has no weapons.

"Liar!" Adrian screamed, lightheaded and dizzy, bare feet slipping in his own blood.

"How are you even standing? You're not in the best condition right now." He explains, Adrian looks slightly confused, although he felt faint stings and warm liquid running down parts of his body, he hasn't really looked at himself except for now.

"Oh my god!" Adrian shouts, shards after shards of glass stabbed into his arms, chest, legs, most of his clothes soaked in blood. Even though there was no more bleeding, the wounds closed up with the glass stuck in them! Adrian felt sick and lightheaded in horror. Fury noticed he was about to fall back down onto the ground, rushing to grab him before he falls unconscious and all falls to pitch black darkness.

Fury looked at the young man more closely, tearing his bloodied and severely ripped shirt to see a shard of glass bigger than his hand stabbed straight through the young man's heart and lung, yet the man was heavily injured to the point the injuries would have caused death.

Fury cradled the man's head, calling Hill his communication device.

"Director Fury?" Hill answered a little questioningly.

"Hill, I believe we've located Phase 3."


	5. Chapter 5

"Well, that was a waste of time. You dragged me from my lab to just make me do some remodeling in a ultra secret laboratory?" Tony said his visor flipping up, clearly annoyed from being distracted from his work.

The Avengers were just getting back to the Helicarrier, just getting back from their seemingly unneeded raid on a facility.

"I'd rather not know, but why did we attack a underground lab without any additional information?" Steve asked, looking at Hill, who had given the order, then to Fury, who was obviously behind it.

"Or the fact that an obvious breach in the deck might have anything to do with it." Tony mumbled, crossing his hands, looking at Fury pointedly.

"You said it was a high-profile rescue mission, yet you called us back before we saw any hostage." Bruce pointed out calmly in speculation.

"And why there is a charred crater in the meeting room?" Thor added.

"Or the fact that attacking a medical facility in Greenland just broke the International Treaty about the extent of the Avenger's involvement was just thrown out the window." Natasha noted, and Clint agreed.

"Or let's just identify the elephant in the room and ask what the fuck are you up to Fury?" Tony said crossing his arms in front of his chest, the others wanting answers also.

"Will the egotistical millionaire pull his wedgie at of his metal ass and settle down?" Fury said calmly as he was leaned up against the wall with his arms crossed.

"That's billionaire to you." Tony corrected without shame.

"Sir, why are you standing outside of the medical room?" Natasha asks.

"We weren't really 'attacked', just had a little delivery. Our rescue-y." Fury , noting Tony's raised eyebrows.

"You're saying that our 'rescue-y' just happened to fly up a good twelve thousand feet and landed in your lap? Bullshit."

"You're saying our target just flew in through the meeting room and wrecked the place already? Sounds like a keeper." Clint sarcastically said.

"Exactly that. The kid looked like a red Christmas ornament when he crashed through the glass." Hill points out.

"Perfect, something nice for our tree this year." Tony said with a serious tone, Natasha stomping on his foot out of rudeness, her heel making a clink noise against his metal feet.

"Thank god I'm still wearing my suit." Tony says relieved, when suddenly the door to the medical room slides open, one of the medical specialist walks out and whispers something to Fury before leaving down the hall.

"He's got cancer doesn't he? Well I guess it's time to break the bad news to the kid and throw him out." Tony says before strolling his way to the door, Fury extends his arm out to block him from entering.

"You're too funny, Stark, but no." Fury says, before Steve attempts to walk in.

"I'll give it an appropriate Avengers welcome." Steve says before Fury also blocks him out, Steve looks at him confused.

"*sigh* Fine, I'll interrogate the -whatever it is." Clint says regrettably as he tries to do the same, unfortunately to no avail.

"No. Natasha, Bruce, I want you in there, when it wakes." Fury says, the pair look surprised at him.

"I'm sorry, but did you say 'it'? As in one of those aliens." Bruce said skeptically.

"Technically, Thor is an alien, but nobody asks questions." Fury stated.

" I am a god. Not this alien you speak of." Thor corrected Fury.

"What the hell is he talking about Agent number two."

"Pardon?" Hill questioned.

"Agent number one is dead, I had to replace him somehow."

"That's level 7 clearance. You're three, Stark. And some respect would be nice." Hill explained.

" It's been two years, oh you meant you. Well there you go, just as cryptic and vague as numero uno." Hill rolled her eyes.

"Better question, why us, sir?" Bruce asks, getting back on topic as he scratches his head.

"Well, you two are the least threatening looking out of all of everyone. I mean, he doesn't trust me-"

"No one does... oh were you speaking? Please continue." Tony added with sarcasticness, making a small smirk appear on Clint's face. Fury promptly ignored Tony's hissy fit and Clint's small chuckle and continued.

"-Then we have the son of the thunder god, a super soldier, a guy with a huge bow, and a smart-mouth." Fury explains.

"And I'm terrible with kids." Hill adds in.

"Kid?" Clint asked, confused with all the pronouns flying about.

"Fury, I'm a billionaire, and you're the goth with an eye patch, but I can understand if the kid might get too overwhelmed from my presence. Can't say the same for Goldy-Locks on steroids, Mr. America-fetish, and Green Arrow over there." Tony insultingly details, feeling the burning stares of his teammates behind him, and brushes them off. Clint's reaction was not exactly friendly.

"I am so not Green Arrow, a thousand times better..." Clint mumbled off, giving him a glare.

"I'm sure the lad will be overwhelmed when its sights capture the gigantic hammer stuffed into your mouth, Stark. However, the Director makes a fine point." Thor says disappointingly. "What realm does he come from? I should be able to communicate to it through the AllSpeak."

"That won't be needed Thor, it speaks perfect English."

"Or an arrow sticking out of his head... But whatever, babysitting isn't my gig anyway." Clint says with his arms crossed. Steve looks at his figure, he doesn't look that threatening, does he?

"Alright, but what should we say to it? What are you hiding?" Natasha lets out a small sigh.

"Don't wake it, let it do it on its own. It wasn't exactly in the right state of mind."

"I'm sorry, but you saying 'it' makes me feel as if it is an alien. Which you haven't denied, for the record. And the Other Guy doesn't exactly like unknowns." Bruce clarified.

"He just escaped anl experimental prison, crashed into a giant flying ship, and was covered in glass shards, make him feel less tense than he already is. He doesn't know where he is yet either, be honest but sugarcoat just a bit. Let him know we're not the bad guys and he's not in any danger." Fury discuss with them, both Bruce and Natasha nod before heading in.

"By the way, sir, you never told us how he 'crashed' his way up here." Steve wonders.

"I'll save it for when everything is settled. The rest of you, give me a status report on what went on down there. And Stark, fix the breach." Fury added and Tony rolled his eyes.

Adrian awoke, blurry eyes gazing at a white ceiling and instantly he panicked. His breath hitched until he found the strength to turn his head and see that he was not in his prison cell anymore. In fact the the room was nearly all white, and had an almost hospital-like feel to it. Was he in the hospital? He looked down and saw white thick covers laid upon him and underneath the gown his hand ran over thick bandages.

He was laid down in a rather comfortable bed, looking up to the rather plain white ceiling with a dome light in the center. His whole body ached while the anesthesia wears off. He hadn't slept that well in days, being knocked out while the glass shards were being removed. The well lit room felt much better than the cell he was locked in. Although he was glad he felt more comfortable, his mind was filled with today's events. Just what the hell happened? Being on fire, his cuts and scrapes disappearing in almost an instant, a huge airship, a guy with an eye patch, Adrian couldn't comprehend all that had happened to him. He frowned at the thought, his breathing still being a little weak. He heard all sorts of mumbling and rambling on the other side of the door.

"Sir, monitors have registered that he is awake." "Good, send for Natasha and Bruce."

Soon after, the door slid open, and a rather attractive red head wearing leather and a plain looking guy in a purple shirt and glasses come walking in.

"H-hey there...how are you feeling ?" Bruce nervously says, questioning whether that was a good greeting or not.

"How are you?" Natasha repeats with a calm tone. Although Adrian couldn't help but find her attractive, his mind was still focused on other things, leaving him a bit speechless as he looks away from them, hazily staring toward the wall.

"It's the shock and anesthesia...It's okay, the feeling is normal...But we're here to help." Bruce said comforting, in a way his always calm voice can only achieve. Adrian shows sign of frustration on his face as he replays today's events in his head, along with past traumatizing images flashing in. He attempts to give a sigh, before his stomach growls loudly, the feeling of a dry and empty stomach. Bruce gives a sympathetic chuckle while Natasha has a gentle smile on her face.

"I'm Bruce by the way. This is Natasha."

"Are you hungry? We can get you food first and then talk." Natasha asks, Adrian nods weakly, not sure whether to trust these people. She picks up some sort of device off the tablet off the desk next to the bed.

"What would you like to eat? Anything's on the menu." Adrian ponders for a moment.

"Pizza..."

"Any toppings?"

"Meat lovers." Adrian mumbles as the tablet in Natasha's hand beeps with every press she makes.

"And a bacon burger. And fries too. And the largest drink size they have of sweet tea. Please, ma'am..." He croaks, as he continues to list out as the images of food fill his mind, Natasha and Bruce look at him wide-eyed before chuckling about.

"Okay, our best man for this job is on his way to pick it up." Natasha says as Adrian goes back to being quiet.

"H-how about we talk while we wait for it to get here. I'm sure you want a lot of answers." Bruce steps up to say.

"Where am I? What day is it? How did you find me?" Adrian bluntly asks.

"The Helicarrier, one of SHIELDS main bases of operation." Natasha formally explains.

"What does SHIELD stand for?" Adrian couldn't help but ask.

"Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division." Natasha said automatically.

"So its like the FBI or some secret government group?"

"That's the short version. Most agents in this group are...'special'." Natasha ponders for the right words with her arms crossed.

"Special?" Adrian looks at her puzzled.

"Well, it could be explained as super humans, or genetically altered beings, or gods, or man-made bio-engineered organis-." Bruce's intelligence is cut off when Natasha clears her throat loudly. Super humans? Gods? Adrian would be in disbelief if it weren't for the fact that he was a flying fireball before ending up here.

"What Bruce is trying to say is that we have a type of special power or ability, and we use this to protect people, and the world, and other worlds..." Natasha explains.

"So what did those people want with me, and why are you helping me? Adrian questions.

"Because you are special. You have abilities that they desired, or so we believe. We took some DNA samples from the glass, and it looks like your genes are going through some sort of molecular change. Slowly, but surely. Would it be alright if you tell us about anything that's happened to you in the facility? Any changes, any events? Y-you don't have to if you don't want to talk about it, but it would help, trust us we're the good guys..." Bruce says, hoping he doesn't give off any pressure to the young man. Adrian gulps down as he remembers his time at that place.

Adrian decides to tell them about what took place at the facility. Prison cell, the experiments, the injections, the torture, and the man causing it all. He also mentions about the weird healing, and the whole flying and turning on fire thing and crashing. For some reason the woman seemed so much more familiar, not so much the guy.

"How terrible... But now that's all over, and the criminals have been...taken care of." Natasha assures him. Bruce is behind pacing and mumbling to himself.

Adrian decided to not question their wording of 'taken care of'. It sounded like they killed them. That doctor was probably dead, even though as relieved he was, Adrian couldn't help that uneasiness because of it.

"So you've developed a healing factor, a matured one since you don't have a single scratch... And being able to light yourself on fire, possibly the means of flight... Did they somehow get DNA on other heroes?..."

"'Other heroes?'" Adrian wonders if there are others like him.

"Huh? Well you see, these traits you have fit the description of a few other that is best saved for another conversation." Bruce says as he focuses more onto his thoughts. Adrian has way too many questions floating around in his head, but one stuck out the most.

"You never answered my question. What day is it? How long was I asleep?"

" Its September 27th. You've been asleep for five days."

Adrian's world dropped. No way. Impossible. No way he was trapped for that long.

"You're lying. It was spring break, the strip was full of tourists... You're saying I was captured for over three months."

Bruce and Natasha glanced at each other, before they looked at Adrian full of was early June that night. The tourists, the bar, the man. No way. No way he was captured for over three months. Adrian gritted his teeth, his head hung low. He refused the wells of tears forming in his eyes. His long hair obscured his eyes, his beard bushy and ungroomed.

"When were you taken?" Natasha asked.

"J-June, the third. June 3rd." Adrian's voice cracked.

"C-can we just take a break, please. I understand you people need information, but I need a minute."

"Of course." Bruce said calmly as Adrian collected his thoughts.

"What are you guys gonna do with me?" He asks worryingly.  
"Nothing, it's your decision. You can stay here or we can just send you back to your home. You'll have to stay for a few days, but we will assure you that you will go home." Natasha says, which makes the room go quiet as Adrian feel troubled with what he could do.

A sudden knock on the door breaks the silence, Natasha walks to the door as Bruce is too busy with his thought process.

"Delivery man here." Tony's sarcastic voice says as the door slides open, holding out a pizza box and a bag of food. Natasha gives him a quick smile before taking it.

"No tip? I scratched my finger when I had to reach for my wallet. Who's the hobo?" Tony said with a smirk on his face.

"Let the door kiss it for you. And that is our guest." Natasha said, pressing a button and making the door close. She turns back around to lay out the food on the bed side.

"T-that was Tony Stark. Tony Stark, Iron man. Oh my god. You're the people from the news." Adrian said with widened eyes.

" You're those A people who saved New York."

Natasha chuckled a bit. "Yes, we are. Now, eat up. Bruce and I are going to wait outside, might as well give you a little privacy. If you're up to it, shower to the left, clothing and toiletries in the closet. Let us know when your done and all." Natasha says as she taps Bruce's shoulder and heads out, Bruce snaps out of his thoughts and follows, the rest of the gang still waiting outside. Fury turns to Bruce and Natasha with a stern look.

"So, what did the boy say?" 


	6. Chapter 6

Back in the room, Adrian sat silent just trying to get a grip on his life until the smell of food wafted into his nostrils and his stomach cramped in need of sustenance. Minutes passed as Adrian ate whatever food his hand grabs onto. He's been starving for who knows how long and the sweet taste of actual cooked food was too much to resist. He gulped down his drink and gave a satisfying sigh, craving that sweetness once more on his tongue, wiping his face with the corner of his white sheet. He went through the whole box of pizza, both burgers, and all the survived were a few small fries.

"Ah, god, that was too good..." Adrian said as he plops his head down on the pillow, feeling so full he was miserable and once again lethargic. It wasn't long till Adrian 's mind started to wander. He scratched his face, his face turning into disgust as his fingers that had dried blood underneath his long fingernails touched a thick unruly beard.

Warily, he removed the blanket from on top of him, seeing for the first time his 'hospital gown which he swept to the side to reveal his entire chest covered in thick white bandages, with splotches of pink. His fingers brushed over them, as he sat up in the bed, hissing as dormant pain came alive. He was aching all over, his chest feeling as if his chest was still containing shards of glass, pain riddled all over. After a few tries and a slew of curses, he stood from the bed. With achy legs and throbbing wrists he padded over to the bathroom. It seemed like even though he was sure he had healed for the most part, his body wanted to remind him of the pain it suffered, like it was a nasty painful game of tic for tac. He felt like a pincushion, his head throbbed, and his wrist felt like it was shattered in a million pieces. Overall, he felt like shit. Honestly, he never had a tolerance for pain, but after what he went through, you have to had made some sort of tolerance for it.

He stepped on the cool tiled floor and saw what he expected to see. A shower big enough for one, a toilet, sink, a mirror, and a small closet. He looked at the shower knob for a bit, wondering how to turn it on, seeing as though not only it could turn on the water, but give you shampoo and body wash too. When he did figure it out, he changed it to his desired temperature, a near scalding hot, and walked over to the closet while the water warmed.

There were all sorts of grooming devices, hygiene products, towels, washcloths. One shelf was filled with nothing but emergency surgical equipment like gauzes, staplers, syringes with needles of all sizes, vials of medicine, looking like a hardcore first aid kit for the apocalypse . Adrian tore his eyes away from it, as the devices gave him flashbacks of events most horrid. He quickly snatched out his washcloth and closed the closet door. He took off the hospital like gown and gazed at his body, or more specifically, the bandages. He didn't know where to start but he tore a piece and started to unravel himself like a mummy.

He saw scars, ugly jagged and raised. Pink and raw, skin looking so thin a feather could slice through it. He was hideous. It ran all over his and back, some individual scars, others joining together looking like lightning strikes embedded in his skin. He ran his fingers lightly over them, tracing them with the tips of his fingers. He grimaced and stepped into the shower and instantly regretted it. He yelled out in pain as the hot water hit him. He seethed but stayed under the water until the hot pellets started to soothe the aching and throbbing. He couldn't tell that he was crying, but he assumed he was since had a knot in his throat. The hot water pelted his skin, soothing and yet painful. It loosened his muscles. His hair was long and water washed the dirt and most of the oil away. He pressed a button and soap dispensed into his awaiting washcloth. He soaped it up and gasped in pain as the soft washcloth felt like sand paper on his skin. Then he realized why. He had pressed the wrong button. Apparently there were different types of soaps. Adrian accidentally pressed the one with exfoliating microbeads. He cursed his stupidity. He picked a new soap, and gently rubbed it against his tender skin. He took his time washing, and by the time he stepped out, his skin was red and painful to the touch, but thankfully clean. He dried his hair before wrapping the towel around his waist as he headed towards the closet. Time to rid himself of this hideous beard and hair. He took the electric razor to his chin, saying goodbye to his cast away beard. He trimmed his hair to the best of his ability, but ultimately put his long locks in a ponytail. Ugh. He brushed his teeth in what seemed like forever, which the little gesture felt like a blessing. He trimmed his nail to an even and proper length. He was finally done grooming and gazed at the outfit in the closet. Worn jeans and a simple tee.

He tried them on, seeing as the jeans were a good fit thankfully. He carried his shirt out the bathroom with him, his skin far too sensitive to put on a shirt yet.

A knock on the door sounded, asking for permission to enter. He granted it, and Bruce and Natasha walked back in.

"We heard you screaming earlier, we came to check up on you. You cleaned up nicely." Bruce commented.

"Uh, thanks, water was harder on the scars than I realized. I'll be fine."

However Bruce was gazing at Adrian's chest with interest. "Amazing. You showed severe trauma when you arrived here, but now scars and new tissue is all that remains." Bruce mumbled but l looked perplexed. Adrian didn't have a navel, a belly button. Adrian followed his gaze.

"Oh, yeah my mom said I was born with this rare genetic defect where my inside kinda grew outside my abdomen. They did surgery and that's why I don't have a belly button."

"Did you ever have a scar from the surgery?"

"Uh, no actually. But I think I have enough now." Adrian commented ending that particular conversation.

"So where are we going?" Adrian said, pertaining to what Natasha had said about having to keep him a while longer before he could return home.

"Home base. The Avengers Tower, in New York."

"Why can't you drop me off in South Carolina?" Adrian asked out of curiosity and still lingering wariness about these people.

"We can't exactly park the helicarrier in your driveway."

Natasha answered, making Adrian feel stupid for even asking.

"Oh, yeah, right."

Bruce had an odd contemplating look, staring at his nonexistent navel and his series of scars. It was kind of unnerving, so he decided to put on the cotton shirt. It was a simple white, which stretched over his muscles and accented his pectorals and physique. It didn't hurt his skin like he thought, but it still made Adrian finally broke his gaze from his body, but he didn't seem pleased.

"Have you made your decision?" Natasha asked, catching Adrian by surprise.

"Um y-yeah I think so." Adrian stuttered.

Well put on your shoes and meet us outside."

"Shoes? There were no-"

"We brought them in when you were in the shower, they are by the cot. We'll be outside." They declared as they left his room.

Adrian looked over to the cot, seeing the black boots on the floor neatly. He reached inside and saw a pair of thick socks. He put the socks on, shoved his foot into the boots, and laced them up tight. He brought his jeans over them, and for once in a long time, he felt human. He paused, sitting on the cot as he rethought his decision, deciding if it was the right choice.

Should he go home? Back to the strip club and normal living with Jaime. Oh, god. Jaime, she must be so worried. But what about these powers, what if they go off randomly again? What if he hurts someone? He didn't even know how to start them up willingly, let alone control them. And what are the chances of getting kidnapped by some revenge seeker? He wanted things to go back as they were, before all this weird stuff started happening, before his life got flipped upside down.

Adrian gathered all his strength and stood up. With his decision clear in his mind approached the door.


	7. Chapter 7

Adrian stepped out of the room, but froze halfway in the door. There they were, all of them. These people, heroes, celebrities. Iron Man, Captain America, Natasha, Bruce, Hawkeye, the guy with the eyepatch, and oh my Thor. Thor was huge. Adrian had been fine at first, Bruce and Natasha had been nice enough, if not a little weird. But with EVERYONE here, staring him down like he was some alien or something, he was intimidated to say the least.

"Ah, u-um. Hello." Adrian awkwardly near whispered, his eyes flitting across all their faces. He looked at Fury but quickly avoided any future eye contact. He remembered how he freaked out earlier, giving Adrian a dose of shame and guilt. All they did was help him, but he was acting completely-

"Hello. Glad you're okay. What's your name, son?" Captain America spoke ,snapping Adrian out of his thoughts.

"Oh! Oh sorry. I'm fine, thanks. Name's Adrian...Scott. Adrian Scott." Adrian blathered, cursing himself for looking like an idiot.

"Nice to meet you. " Captain America stuck out his hand, and Adrian gave him a firm shake in return.

"I-I want to go...home. I mean I know I can't now, but-but I-"

"We understand. We just need a few questions answered." Fury spoke up, gaining Adrian's attention.

"I know, and I'll give you any info you want. But I'm still trying to get my head around it."

That's fine, there will be plenty time for question at Avengers tower.

Adrian Scott, standing on firm feet, though unsure of his decision.

"I just want to get home as soon as possible."

Tony had been once again hacking into SHIELD's confidential and classified records on the low, making Jarvis crack through firewalls, re-routes, traps, and alarms, scanning all of SHIELD's files and hardware.

Tony was of course looking for that Level 7 files Hill had refuse to disclose. He was also curious as to why Fury was standing on eggshells with this kid.

Of course, Tony was standing there, looking as innocent as he could be, hand in pocket, in a suit and open blazer, looking stylish and cocky.

"Are you sure? Nothing's better than here. Food, accommodations, entertainment, governmental surveillance watching your every move-" Tony stopped abruptly as Natasha nudged him rather roughly.

"We respect your choice, but are you sure about this? We can help you." Natasha leans forward and places a hand on Adrian's shoulder. He hesitantly nods, slightly blushing at how prettier her face looks up close. Tony taps Natasha on the shoulder to get a second with her.

"Lower your suit zipper. The more cleavage he sees, the better chance at changing his mind." Tony whispers. Natasha already frustrated at him, stops on his foot, enough to get her point across.

"And you should've kept your iron suit on." She hisses at him while he lifts his foot away from her in obvious agony and keeps his cries of pain inside. Adrian catches glimpse of this and chuckles.

"I just... Want to go back to my normal life. I've missed some at this point, a lot of catching up to do. I had a job, a good one, and responsibilities to people. I need to speak with my family and friends, tell them that I'm okay. My ma probably thinks I'm dead by now, I'm sure they'd be happy to see me." He looks down with a sad smile.

"We can get you a phone. And how's weekly family visits sound? I'll throw in a fruit basket and a few thousand in there, they'll be fine." Tony says, clearly on edge from Natasha, effectively sliding away from her and her toe-crushing boots.

Adrian continues to look down at the floor with an unsure and worried look. Natasha looks at Tony, surprised he's actually encouraging him to stay, and knowing he probably has some sort of ulterior motive, she looks to the other and urges them to do the same. Unfortunately, they're taking too long to think of something good to say. Tony walks up to Thor.

"Ever wanted to see a real double rainbow and meet godly babes? Goldilocks over here can sign you up for that field trip." He throws an arm over Thor, Thor looking at him confusingly.

"Uh quite. If thou wishes, we can eat and drink all day with father Odin." Thor tries to explain, Adrian continues to look the other way.

"Tough crowd. Fine, fine, I'll throw in arrow boy. Ever wanted to blow stuff up just by using a sharp pointy stick?" Tony continues his proposition next to Clint.

"He's not touching my stuff." Clint mumbles to him. Adrian would be interested if he didn't already burst throw walls and windows.

"Boy your greedy. Ever wanted to...um..." Tony looks at Steve, trying to figure out what to get out of him.

"Hang out with the American Dream?" Tony shrugs and looks innocently guilty at Steve.

"By that he means practice fighting and improving your abilities." Steve explains. Adrian begins to actually ponder about this.

"I know what'll reel you in. The big boss himself. The head honcho showing you all types of weapons of destruction, and letting you use them. You know you want to. Getting into top secret confidential even he refuses to show us." He says, presenting Fury like a prize.

"Stark..." Fury gives him a stern look.

"I'll even throw in some money if you tell me how you flew into the Helicarrier that was twelve-thousand feet in the air-"

"Stark!" Fury reprimanded.

Well, there it was, Tony's ulterior motive.

"Well it's the truth."

"Pushing it."

"I always push it. That's how you get progression."

"Or a suspension-"

"As nice as it sounds...I really can't. I just want to go home, see my ma, be normal again, and just forget." Adrian said, the nice gestures being nice but the place had him feel like he would end up being locked in a cell again.

Am I really saying no to the Avengers?

Yep. Yes I am.

A disappointed silence flows through the air, all except Tony's hands clasping together.

"Welp, can't win'em all, right?" He walks over to the nearby emergency gate, typing in a code to open it up, a cool breeze flows in as the Helicarrier flies through the air at a steady pace.

"Off you go, don't let the door hit you on the way down." Tony says as he points at the exit. Adrian looks wide eyed at him.

"We're about afew thousand feet in the air, Stark. Close it up. If he wants to go, we'll be arriving at headquarters any minute and that's where we arrange a ride home for him. After he answers some questions of course." Fury explains.

"Until then, everyone, carry on with whatever. The boy is allowed to sightsee around the ship as long as he doesn't get on anyone's nerves. I can't afford anymore broken windows." Fury walks off with a wave, Hill following behind.

"That was... Strange." Natasha said with a raised eyebrow.

"Indeed. The commander gave out without a fight." Thor said shrugging it off.

"Alls well that ends well, time for me to get back to 'work'." Tony casually walks off, Natasha attempting to stop him and give him a good piece of her mind, but sighs instead.

Clint disappears without anyone even noticing, and Steve gives Adrian a pat on the shoulder and a firm nod before leaving to the training room.

"Um... It shouldn't be too long from now until we reach the city. You could sit tight, or walk around. I'd recommend not straining yourself. Come visit me if you have any questions. I'll be in the lab..." Bruce tells Tobias. Natasha steps up once again, taking something off of her belt and giving it to Tobias.

"Have this, it's a radar device. Like a cell phone. It tells you our locations on the ship if you get lost." Adrian takes it and gives an quiet thank you.

"Thou will be back home in no time." And with this, the last of the Avengers split up, leaving Adrian to wonder of what could've been as he toys with the device in his hand.

"Hey, uh, Natasha, is there a way I can use a computer?" He called out , getting her attention before she turned down the hall.

"Sure." She said with a warm smile.


	8. Chapter 8

Adrian walked with Natasha for a bit, not really speaking, until they approached a small room with a few computers.

"You may go on the internet, however there are rules. No emailing, no contact with anyone, social media apps included. You cannot visit certain websites, those of which you should know the understanding of appropriate and inappropriate. You cannot visit political governmental, or marketing sites, otherwise the computer will revoke all access. Understand that whatever you view will be closely monitored."

"Y-yeah, okay, I get it. S.H.I.E.L.D has to keep stuff on lock." Adrian replied.

"...Yes, precisely. Enjoy yourself. when you are done, just leave the room and wander if you'd like. We will come retrieve you when it is time to transfer." Natasha said as she left, closing the door behind her.

* * *

"Are you serious, Tasha. He's on youtube. Do you really need to spy on him watching Youtube?" Clint asked Natasha who was watching three screens. two cameras, one surveiling the room, the other the discreet webcam in the monitor, and a real time display screen capture od the monitor screen.

"Direct orders." Natasha sighed, looking briefly at Clint. "You're welcome to join. You missed a thirty minute crying session."

"Wait, really? What about?" Clint said pulling up a seat next to her, flipping it around sitting inverted in the seat, arms resting on the back, looking at the monitors.

"A girl on youtube. I looked her up, she's a thing called a 'youtuber' and apparently was his friend." She pulled out a StarkPad, showing the information, aand handing it to Clint, who scrolled through.

"They lived together... recently filed missing reports for him two months ago... she looks normal enough." He scrolled through looking through everything imaginable, from a detailed background to personal information and social media links.

"Woah, she's got some issues. Like abandonment issues." He scrolled through videos of her pleading her followers to help find Aiden on a seperate screen. A linking Youtube account showed Aiden cooking food, among other things.

"We can't judge, maybe that is how she is. Either way, it isn't our business."

"The kid himself seemed ordinary enough also. Records show he has several degrees in culinary arts and last work record showed he was a bartender at a local club. The guy probably didn't know what he got himself into..." Clint commented, casually scrolling through information.

"Or what he is. When I was talking with him, Bruce noticed something. He barely commented afterwards, and something tells me he has a certain suspicion that the boy isn't what Fury entirely sets him up to be. And Tony got that ulterior motive that I'm sure has another motive behind it, but I have a feeling he's getting that same feeling Bruce has too." Natasha commented as she watched Adrian walk down the halls of the helicarrier, looking occasionally at her transmitter.

"I don't trust Tony and Bruce working together. At least in the same room. There's just too much brainiac smartness concentrated in one area that they're bound to do something dastardly." Clint joked, and Natasha rolled her eyes.

(A/N: That sounds a lot like Age Of Ultron doesn't it?)

"Brainiac smartness, Clint? Well it seems hes interested in finding Steve." Natasha replied watching through security feeds that Adrian was headed towards Steve's location.

* * *

Adrian wandered through the halls, sorta-kinda looking at where he was going. He thought it was really odd that they let him have free roam, but then again, if it gave him an opportunity to snoop around he'd gladly take it.

He passed by man and women that had the exact same uniform on, and it gave everyone that strict militia feel. Some gave him some stares and double glances. Others ignored him entirely.

He didn't mind it all to much, but when he decided to find IronMan, since he had to stay anyways, he was wondering whether or not that proposal was still up for grabs. However all he found was a dead end leading to a supply closet with the same little device that looked like Natasha's enclosed inside. Adrian sighed rather loudly, trying to read the stupid little device, but failing miserably. He was effectively lost.

It seemed an hour of wandering and poorly executed back-tracking made him even more lost in the huge air ship thing. He had hit quite a few dead ends, usually needing some sort of password or keycard.

He eventually found himself looking at a large wall, some sort of weird memorial on the wall, pictures of dead officers with their names and status and years served and death among other things. There were a lot of them. More than to count. Adrian browsed through the them, looking at names, faces. It set a certain tone to the room that made Adrian feel heavy and unwanted. This wasn't somewhere he thought he should be. It seemed as if this wall was more of a shrine than a just memorial.

Adrian just kept on looking at the pictures and names an what not. He had been there for five minutes an he had almost finished. He started to turn away, to leave this sad room when a face he recognized caught his eye. He stared at it, shocked, confused, and a little angry. He gazed at the very familiar face, the short cropped brown hair with a warming smile. He looked at name and frowned. It said he died almost a year ago...What was his uncle Phil doing on the wall?


	9. Chapter 9

"Where's the kid? Weren't you babysitting him?" Natasha only rolled her eyes at Clint. They were getting ready to board the Quinjet II in preparation to head the rest of the way to Avengers Tower.

Tony was busy on his StarkPad, looking awfully concentrated, Bruce was calm as ever, although looking like he would love nothing more to relax in his room or lab. Thor was still galant looking with his cape on and Mijolnir in hand.

"What are we waiting for? Just leave the kid, he's S.H.I.E.L.D's obvious 'little secret'. It has nothing to do with us." Clint commented slicing into an apple with a rather deadly looking blade.

"Uh, hello. I need answers. Fury obviously has something with that kid that he wants to keep secret. And a, when Fury is doing sneaky shenanigans, it usually ends up with us in trouble and usually getting shot and or blown up. B, I want to know how that squirt flew, and became a living pincushion and survived. Oh and c, just doing all of this detective shit just to fuck with Fury. If it is something he wants secret, then he's gonna hafta fight for it." Tony absently adds into the conversation, making quite a point however childish his motives are. They were all outside, at the open hangar, some thousand feet in the air, waiting on a late Steve and Adrian, which in all honesty, the latter they would rather leave and let S.H.I.E.L.D deal with.

Steve arrived at the Quinjet with Adrian following him like a lost dog.

"He happened to wander into restricted area, found him being escorted by two agents. I saw him and assumed responsibility."

"Sorry, Captain America..." Adrian softly replied, loud enough for only Captain America to hear. Adrian knew he meant nothing I ng by it, but the way he said it was as if Adrian was this little two year old nuisance that they had to babysit.

"It's quite alright, son. Just call me Steve." Steve replied equally quiet.

" Alright everyone get in, we are leaving ASAP." Clint said as he walked into the open cargo area, eager to fly the Quinjet II.

Adrian was eerily quiet for the rest of the trip. He was strapped in the seats at the back of the Quinjet II. Steve was next to him, and Tony and Bruce were talking about something science. Natasha was sitting with Hawkeye up in the was sitting on the other side of Adrian, giving him the feeling of claustrophobia. Adrian ignored the feeling and stared at the ground, still thinking about what he had seen, looking for any possible explanation or how to ask a delicate question like this.

"Welcome home, Avengers. I see you have brought a guest? Sir shall I offer living arrangements to the guest?"

"Yeah Jarv, looks like we're babysitting until S.H.I.E.L.D gets their shit together."

"Language." Captain America commented absently, Adrian chuckling.

Adrian knew he wasn't welcome, but being with the people who saved his life made him eternally grateful made him feel indebted to them. He would just have to accept their feelings and go with the flow.

They exited the Quinjet on a similarly looking dock. They rode down the elevator to what seemed like the main floor. There was a large patio-like area with a bar, lounge, and large enough to hold a small party in.( the room where Tony had his party in AOU)

"Wow…" Adrian muttered in astonishment of the view. He could practically see nearly all of Manhattan, or wherever the hell he was. As far as Adrian knew, he was somewhere in New York.

"Quite a sight." Natasha commented beside Adrian.

"Yeah. Never been to New York before. Always wanted to go but never could… Better now than never, I guess…ohmygod. So sweet."

The fully stocked bar had Adrian's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. It just reminded him of home and how much he actually liked his job at the strip.

There was shelves of some of the highest quality liquor a he had never been able to mix. Some of them were so perfect you didn't need to mix them. A good double whiskey with a cube or two of thick slow melting ice was all you needed.

"Don't get any ideas kid. This isn't a frat party. You don't even know a quarter of the stuff that's up there." Tony said, staring at the kid, who was eyeing his top rack.

"I beg to differ…" Adrian mumbled, still staring at the different liquors on the shelves, stepping closer to get a better view.

Tony rolled his eyes and scoffed at the kid. If anything, Fury's little pet project was amusing if not annoying.

"...You love your whiskeys . You're more of a simple man. A double, no ice, you don't like it diluted. But sometimes, like anyone else, you like to have fun. Based on the quantities, I'd say the Adios, but someone else here likes Cosmos and martinis too." Adrian responded to Tony's scoff, looking at the varied levels of alcohol, the whiskeys mainly stocked never running out with varying flavors and brands, the vodka bearing the middle but most of which he has handled before, which meant whoever drank cosmos and apparently martinis had an average taste of alcohol, not the high dollar connoisseur type like Mr. Stark.

"He's got you on the nose Tony." Steve said, smirking a little.

"Kid knows his stuff…" Clint said, bringing a small smile to Adrian's face.

"...Not bad, frat boy." Tony remarked, a little impressed.

Adrian grinned a little, "Nah, but let me use your bar and I'll serve you the best damn drink with a side of entertainment to boot."

Adrian could tell that Tony considered the offer, but was still skeptical.

"Only if you answer a few of my questions. Jarv?"

"Yes sir?"

"Show the kid to his guest floor, me and uh, Brucie here are going to the lab to do boring science-y stuff." Tony said throwing a hand on Bruce's shoulder.

"Huh? Oh, um yeah. Right." Bruce looked over at Tony who was already leading him away.

"Please walk to your left, down the hall and step into the elevator."Jarvis announced through the intercom and Adrian saw the Avengers were dissipating from the floor, leaving him alone with the disembodied voice.

* * *

Adrian followed direction after direction and was led to his own floor that looked like a one room penthouse, the floor broken up by open walls. It was sick and sweet but not quite a place for privacy. It was just so open.

After wandering around, he found this king bed that felt like heaven. He must have fallen asleep because when he woke up, the sun was fading into the horizon. He got up and rubbed his eyes, stretching as he felt his bones pop and crack with stress.

Once he found the bathroom, he stripped down to nothing and turned on the shower.

He saw his body in the full sized mirror, and even it looked foreign to him.

The scars were not thick and ugly like they were before, but thin and slightly pink, as if he had given himself a welt. His muscles… Well they looked strange. They looked… Bigger. As if he'd put on a good ten pounds of nothing but pure muscle. He swore that when he was in that…hell hole, he had to have dropped a good fifty pounds.

"What the hell?" Adrian said out loud, and then slowly brushed over his belly button, or where it should have been anyway.

What was Bruce's deal? He didn't have a belly button, so what? His mom had always told him that it was normal. Well, maybe it wasn't? Was it just him? Either way he forgot about for now and jumped into that luxurious shower.

After he spent a good almost sinful forty-four minutes of pure bliss, Adrian jumped out and wrapped a towel around his middle and wiped away the steam off the mirror. His hair was long and wet and wavy, curls flicking water off their tips with every jostle of his body.

His curls, choppy from his own self given haircut, were still obscenely long, long enough to tickle him between his shoulder blades.

He padded back into the room looking around and then noticed the best folded clothes on the bed.

He had no clothes, nothing. No phone. No credit card. Nothing.

Adrian sighed, and found a pen and notepad in a random drawer and started writing at the desk in the far corner.

'Need: 1) go to bank 2) buy clothes 3) get a haircut 4) get my shit and go home'

Adrian thought as he wrote.

'6) Find Jamie 7) tell her I'm sorry 8) if that doesn't work, grovel at her feet 9) hope she didn't sell my things to pay rent'

Adrian sighed and set down the pencil and carded his hands through his hair, whichgot stuck at their curly tangled ends. He tugged his fingers through with a grunt.

Adrian suddenly face palmed himself. He didn't have an ID. No form of any kind. He was a nobody in this big ass city, where these, essentially super heroes, we're keeping him captive. No, captive was too strong of a word for what they were doing. They were keeping him under surveillance.

He would have to talk to them. Tell them that, that, that... Well what would he say? Just march right up to Captain America and demand him to let him go?

No.

That wouldn't work. But what was he going to do?

* * *

Hoped you liked the chapter! Sorry writing is going so slow, I have been burdened lately by a lot of irl crap.


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